


Black Diamond

by minwonangst



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: M/M, drugs violence prostitution... the usual stuff, i know im going to hell, it's where i am heading for starting this shit without proper plotting, just a little idk, mafia!au, no more angst this time, nothing comes out good at 2 in the am, now you know so please exit until you have time, please excuse my failure, there are others that will be included but im not gonna say who yet coz where's the fun in that???, will include sexy times if i am in the mood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2020-07-21 06:34:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19997455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minwonangst/pseuds/minwonangst
Summary: This is Wonwoo's last chance to prove himself. Three years into this job, he only managed to catch small time thieves and traffic violators. All the rest, the big ones, he had failed to make a case. So, he doesn't need to think twice to volunteer when Choi Seungcheol tasked them to go undercover. He wouldn't allow anyone to get this job from him, not even his partner Soonyoung. The Black Diamond case is his only redemption.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Tip: Please don't expect much.

Wonwoo is tired of this misfortune. Seungcheol is eyeing him and Soonyoung from his wide oakwood desk, rubbing his temples to ease the headache the both of them have caused him. He looks disappointed. He must be. His two officers caused his precinct another shame.

"Please tell me," Seungcheol finally speaks after a minute of silence. He's that frustrated at them. "How in the world did a single criminal get away from two police officers? It's either he's fucking Flash or you two are just plain useless."

While it is true that the robber got away from them, Wonwoo thinks it's not entirely his and Soonyoung's fault. They were in the area not because it was their assigned area. They were there because Soonyoung asked him to come with him to collect his brand new electric scooter. Then the robbery happened. The guy, someone shorter than both of them, grans a woman's purse and ran away. Soonyoung was holding the box of his precious scooter and he couldn't afford to just leave it on the streets because it's the fruit of his savings. Wonwoo had no choice but to chase the guy alone. Wonwoo isn't a runner and he knows that.

So there, they both really are idiots.

Both of them could only hang their heads low. They have no excuse. The woman who got robbed is still outside filing a complaint. They aren't sure if against the person who ran away with her purse or the two of them.

"This is the fourth time this has happened." Their captain stating a fact. Wonwoo is aware. He’s keeping track of his records that why he's already getting used to the reprimanding and documented coaching he keeps on receiving. Sometimes he asks himself why he became a police officer when he can't even defend the citizens of Seoul from the bad guys. "One more time this happens, you two will be on probation."

They go back to their desks as the captain said he would analyze the case. It is a simple criminal act if you would think about it. Lots of pickpocketing and snatching happens in a bustling city every day. It’s a normal occurrence and Wonwoo shouldn’t think more about it. They tried their best. They’re just unlucky today.

But it is Wonwoo’s nature to think a lot especially when his record is on the line. He graduated from the police academy with high honors, and yet after three years, he’s still not a full-fledged detective like he dreamed to be. He’s stuck with patrol duty with Soonyoung who’s one of the worst in their batch. Seungcheol, who is only a year ahead of him, is already his boss.

“Dude, stop it.” Soonyoung suddenly tells him. “You’re doing it again.”

“What?”

“You’re spacing out.”

It’s a habit of Wonwoo to shut down like a robot without a battery when he’s thinking. Despite being annoyed at Soonyoung half of the time, Wonwoo considers him as his best friend. Soonyoung knows him well and could depend on him anytime he needs him. Wonwoo knows Soonyoung could catch a bullet for him when needed.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to think much about it.” Soonyoung appeases him, giving him a chocolate bar that he loves so much.

Wonwoo sighs but accepts the treat. He needs something. He has to do something. He couldn’t be living like this all his life. His deceased father didn’t push him to enter the academy to be Officer Loser.

“We’re back to graveyard duty,” Wonwoo states, disappointment spilling out from his voice. He hates patrolling at night. Most of the time, they only send drunk-middle aged working men home to their angry wives. There are also times when they would save women from potential sexual harassment after a night out. It’s boring and he feels more like a social welfare officer than a cop. Soonyoung likes it, though, because he has more time playing with his phone while Wonwoo drives them around.

Wonwoo takes his things to go home. Seungcheol has sent them home for the day so they could prepare for their duty tonight. He wants to catch a few hours of sleep before they start their assignment. He bids Soonyoung goodbye before he leaves.

"See you later, partner!" Soonyoung says bye cheerfully. Wonwoo wishes he could have that kind of attitude even in the midst of crisis.

It's gonna be a long night.

*

Just like always, Wonwoo is the designated driver. One, because Soonyoung sucks at it. Two, Wonwoo senses danger and trouble better. And three, Soonyoung eats a lot when they are on patrol.

They have agreed that they would stick around the red light district tonight. They could catch pimps and prostitutes around the area. It's a booming business on this side of town even if it's still clearly illegal in the country.

He parks the police mobile at the side of the road, a block away from the actual red light alley. He knows there are mobs operating in the area. They are armed and he and Soonyoung are definitely outnumbered if they engage. He only looks around, checking the clock on the dashboard. It's only 10 in the evening.

"So, why are we here?" Soonyoung asks, yawning and stretching his arms in the passenger seat. "Do you perhaps want to die?"

Maybe. If they would continue doing this job for another month.

"It's a mobster area, for chrissakes," Soonyoung states as if Wonwoo isn't aware. "Even if we see something off, we can't really arrest them."

"Technically, we could," Wonwoo argues.

Soonyoung grimaces. "Well, yeah if you want to die. I don't plan on dying tonight. No, thank you."

Wonwoo sees three men come out of one establishment. They are relatively young, maybe they are Wonwoo's age. One of them takes out a cigarette and lights it. He's got black hair with a retro cut that Wonwoo only sees in the 70s movies. He is wearing a brown leather jacket and boots. He looks chic compared to the other two men he's with.

The three of them stand them for a while. One of them, the blonde one answers a call while the other, the one with a pointed nose talks to retro about something. After blondie ends the call, a salaryman gets thrown out of the establishment they came out of. There are five bouncers holding him while he kneels in front of the trio.

"The fuck?" Soonyoung asks when he notices What was Wonwoo looking at.

Wonwoo remains watching. The working man, maybe in his 40s, pleads at the three. Wonwoo assumes they are the bosses of the establishment. He lifts his eyes and reads at the signage.

**_Black Diamond Casino_ **

Retro throws his cigarette to the ground and steps on it before he grabs the man through his collar. He seems mad, hissing at the man's face. He drops him back to the ground when Nose stops him from doing something more.

Blondie runs a hand through his hair. Out of all of them, he's the one who looks worried. The man goes to him, joining his hands together like praying to him. Blondie signals the bouncers to take him away. His men grab the man and push him to walk. They disappear to the dark alley next to the establishment.

"We should go!" Wonwoo unbuckles his seat belt and checks for his gun on his waist.

"Are you crazy?!" Soonyoung grabs his arm. "Did you see those men? We can't even match."

"You're a police officer! This is our job!" Wonwoo exclaims.

"I am! But I'm not stupid!" Soonyoung yells back. "These people are armed and have connections. We can't just attack with only a .45 as a weapon."

Wonwoo grunts. Soonyoung has a point. He buckles up again and drives away. He hears Soonyoung release a deep breath when they are already on the road. He still can't stop thinking about what they witnessed. It's an assault and only God knows if the man is still alive right now. He highly doubts that. These are mobsters. They won't hesitate to kill.

They have failed yet again. Another citizen fell to the hands of criminals and they didn't do anything about it. Wonwoo will carry this in his conscience forever.

They are driving around for a few minutes when a call comes on the car radio. It's Soonyoung who listens in and takes note of the details. Wonwoo gives him the freedom to assess if they would take it or not.

"Let's go," Soonyoung affirms.

"What happened?"

"Frat party gone wild. Three students are down."

Wonwoo drives to University Avenue where the frat house is located. One of the students reported three incidents of overdose. When they reached the area, three ambulances and medic mobiles are already there. Wonwoo and Soonyoung flash their badges to the guards securing the house with yellow tape to enter the supposed crime scene.

It's evidently a party. Lots of wasted college students are still hanging out there. Some are being questioned. Some are being attended by the medics because they panicked and jumped off the fences which caused them injuries. The three students who completely passed out are already inside the ambulance.

Soonyoung goes to one of the ambulances to ask about what happened.

"Drug overdose." The medic answers. He says his patient had a seizure caused by whatever drug he took. Initial findings based on the effects is Ecstacy.

Wonwoo inspects the other students. More than ten of them are still shaking. There's one girl who is sobbing at her friends. Her heartbeat is racing and she is hysterical. Wonwoo tries to ask her friend about her situation.

"I don't wanna go to jail." The sober girl says.

Wonwoo assures her she won't. They just want to know what happened to help her friend. "You're fine. Just tell us about the drug."

One of the medic officers takes her friend away to take her to the hospital. Wonwoo says he would talk to the friend first for a minute before they go.

"Monkey Dust." She answers, shivering. She doesn't look scared. She's just hesitant about talking about it and getting dragged into the investigation. "That's all I know. I didn't take it. I told Dahyun to not take it but she won't listen to me."

Wonwoo nods. It's the first time he has heard about the drug. "Do you happen to know where she got it?"

The girl, Nayeon, shakes her head. "She probably just got it here at the party. I really don't know."

"Ok. Thank you. I hope your friend gets better." Wonwoo sends Nayeon back to where her friend is. He goes inside the frat house to search for Soonyoung.

Wonwoo finds Soonyoung talking to the head of the house. He's already in his senior year and is not aware of the drugs being sold at the party.

"The party was supposed to be a victory party for our Football Team. I have no idea about drugs." He answers. He admits he knows about the weed being passed on since he also uses it occasionally but he has never tried and doesn't allow recreational drugs in the house. Their frat house is known for its great athletes. They don't tolerate such lifestyle.

They leave the house to report the incident and the information they've gathered to the precinct. They are surprised to see Seungcheol at that hour. Their captain invited them to his office and closes the door.

He looks stressed. He must be sleeping already at home and only got up to come back to the office. "Report what happened."

It's Wonwoo who narrated the incident. They have found out that one of the three victims who was rushed to the hospital because of overdose is Seungcheol's younger brother. He wants the case investigated thoroughly.

"Find the dealer." Seungcheol orders. "I don't care how you do it. I need names by Thursday."

It's only Tuesday. Technically, it's already Wednesday since it's already one in the morning. That means they won't be able to get some sleep in the days to come.

It surprises Wonwoo that Seungcheol lets them handle this serious case. Usually, he would get more experienced officers in their rosters to handle bigger cases. Their captain just goes ahead and assigns them a drug case that involves his brother. It kinda gives them huge pressure.

Seungcheol leaves after clarifying his orders. Soonyoung groans when their boss is already out of sight. Wonwoo starts his research by opening his desktop computer. The urge to not fuck up is high. He has to impress Seungcheol and catch whoever is responsible for this. He types "Monkey Dust" into the search bar and then presses enter.

He is given a few pages he could look into. He opens the one on top to read what's the use of the drug, how to use it, and its effects. It's a bit similar to Ecstasy but it has more severe effects to the user. When used excessively, it dampens perceptions of pain and causes powerful hallucinations which lead to severe paranoia. He clicks on some videos and there he sees the users acting similar to zombies. They don't know that they could be harmed if they hit their heads on the wall. Their idea of pain gets washed away.

"That is sick."Soonyoung comments behind him. "Who brought this kind of drug in the country?

Wonwoo searches further. Monkey Dust looks similar to cocaine and can be consumed in the same manner-- snorted or injected. It said to be originated in Europe and spread out to the US and Asia. There's no concrete report on how it entered South Korea but Wonwoo already has a hint.

"Mafias," Wonwoo says even though he has no proof yet. He just feels it. They are the only group that smuggles illegal goods into the country. It's possible they are the ones who brought this.

"Which one?" Soonyoung seems he believes as well. There are so many mob groups in the country. Wonwoo can't even name one.

"That's what we're going to find out."

*

Hansol wakes up exactly on Thursday morning. Wonwoo and Soonyoung still have no possible strong possible suspects for the case. They were waiting for Hansol to wake up for interrogation. The other victims are still asleep as they have the worse condition than Seungcheol's brother.

They go to the hospital the moment they found out Hansol's already awake. Seungcheol is still busy with other cases so they take that opportunity to talk to Hansol. The younger was mum in the beginning, scared that Seungcheol would disown him if they found out what he did.

"Does hyung know?" Hansol asks.

Wonwoo and Soonyoung nods. "He's the one who sent us here."

Hansol frowns. "Is he mad?"

"No. He's concerned about you so he wants us to solve this right away."

Mrs. Choi leaves the room first in case Hansol is afraid to talk while she's present.

Wonwoo knows the feeling of your family being disappointed in you for the things you did. He was like that with his father when he was still alive. He was also a police officer, a good one, the pride of his precinct. The pressure to be like him was high when he was in the academy. He is living in the shadow of his father until now. People only know him as Detective Jeon's only son. Not Jeon Wonwoo the police officer.

"You can start by telling us where you got the drug," Soonyoung suggests kindly.

The college student stares at his joined hands on his waist. " Hyunggu said he got it from a guy named Haechan." It's one of Hansol's buddies. They were only invited to the party since they were friends with one of the players of the football team. Hansol new there would be weed but he didn't expect Hyunggu had something stronger. It was handed to them at the party. "We thought it's just Ecstacy with a weirder name. We were instructed to go to a room upstairs. I knew it was trouble when it has to be injected to us."

Hyunggu is perfectly fine. He got the high he wanted but the effect was different for Hansol. His heart started palpitating after a few minutes and then he was on fire. He says he felt like he was so strong and so indestructible. However, his heart couldn't take it. He passed out after only an hour. His body experienced hyperthermia.

"Do you know who is this Haechan?" Wonwoo asks.

"A dude from Liberal Arts. He is one of our weed suppliers. Most students in our circle get it from him."

"Thank you, Hansol. Get well soon." Wonwoo tells him when he is satisfied with the information. It's enough for now. Hansol is also a victim. The dealers are the ones to be investigated more to get to the root of the cause.

"Am I going to jail?" Hansol asks before Soonyoung and Wonwoo leaves.

"No," Soonyoung assures him. Even Hyunggu. Both of them are safe.

The boy only nods. The worry in his expression dissipates.

Wonwoo and Soonyoung go straight to the university to find this boy Lee Haechan. They head to the Liberal Arts building to ask for him from the department office. The professors are cooperative when they ask them about him. He seems popular when it comes to causing trouble but he is a talented student, one of the college's promising performers.

After a few minutes, Haechan comes in with one of his professors. They are in one of the conference rooms and ask the professor to leave first so they could talk to the boy in private.

"Officer, I didn't do anything wrong!" Haechan pleads right away. He looks like he is about to cry even before they interrogate him.

"You have to prove it to us," Wonwoo says matter-of-factly. The boy nods.

"Did you supply all the Monkey Dust at the party?" Soonyoung asks.

Haechan nods again. "But it was the first time I did it. I swear! I didn't know! They said it's just like weed but in powder."

"They?" Wonwoo inquires.

"I think it is better if we take him to the precinct," Soonyoung suggests. Wonwoo sees the professors looking at them through the glass panel of the door. This room might not be that soundproof. Haechan is about to divulge information that might lead to the bigger drug dealers and they don't need a lot of people to hear it.

"You have to come with us." Wonwoo stands up, putting both of his hands on his waist as he looks down at the boy.

"Why?? I don't wanna go to jail!"

"Kid, you're not going to jail. We just need you in the precinct for questioning." Soonyoung explains.

"But, Sir I have classes."

Wonwoo opens the door and gets out of the room. "You'll gonna be excused." He talks to one of the professors to tell her the situation. She agrees easily.

Soonyoung guides Haechan to their car, making him sit at the back. Wonwoo drives them to the station and books an interrogation room to themselves.

"Who's the kid?" Seungcheol asks when they saw them come in. Haechan is already on the other side of the room. The three of them look at him fidget on his seat through the two-way mirror.

"He's the college dealer," Wonwoo replies. "We'll try to get more info about where he gets his products. Maybe it could lead us to a syndicate."

Seungcheol nods. It's Wonwoo who goes in while Soonyoung records the conversation.

"Back to what we're talking about earlier," Wonwoo starts. He sits down to not scare the boy. He looks young. His record says he is two years younger than Hansol, which makes him a sophomore. "Where do you get your products?"

Weed is harmless. Even if it is still illegal in Korea, Wonwoo has smoked it during his younger years. Most kids had tried it and he thinks there's nothing gravely wrong with it. The drugs are a different story. It destroys the body and the mind. It's a killer.

"From a friend."

"It would save us time if you tell us the name the name of that friend."

"Yukhei." Haechan hangs his head low. "Wong Yukhei."

"Who is he?"

"I met him at a party. We're not really close. It's all business. I meet him every now and then for my orders. Last week, he offered me Monkey Dust. He said it's the new craze for young people. Celebrities use it and all that shit. It's pricey but it has an effect greater than weed."

"Do you know where we can find him?"

Haechan shakes his head. "We only meet at campus whenever I call him. We communicate through SNS."

Wonwoo pushes a clipboard to the boy. "Write his full name and contact number."

While writing, Wonwoo looks at the mirror and signals something at Soonyoung. Soonyoung should know what to do when he cocks one of his eyebrows up. He leaves the room momentarily to check what Soonyoung has found out.

"He's fucking young," Soonyoung says while he scrolls down Wong Yukhei's Facebook account. It's not active but he uses it occasionally to talk to college students, mostly girls. Wonwoo and Seungcheol look from behind.

Soonyoung prints one of his photos and gives it to Wonwoo.

"Is this him?" Wonwoo presents the photo on the table.

Haechan looks and affirms. "Yes."

"Thank you Haechan," Wonwoo says. "But I need you to do us another thing."

The boy is scared but he nods. They don't want him to be involved in this deeper but they have no choice. He is their only lead. He is their only way to Wong Yukhei.

*

Wong Yukhei is easy to talk to. One call and he's meeting up with you when it comes to business.

Wonwoo instructs Haechan to call him for another batch of Monkey Dust and meet him as soon as possible. Yukhei is more than happy to deliver and says he would bring the drugs on campus that night. While on the phone, he mentions what happened to the party.

"Crazy! You guys are all over the news!" He exclaims on the phone. "I am really surprised you still want this after that shit."

"People got curious so they wanted to try for themselves," Haechan says, Wonwoo and Soonyoung listening in. They are inside Wonwoo's personal car. They forego using the patrol mobile to be discreet.

"Okay. I'll be there in a few. See you!"

As expected, Wong Yukhei arrives a few minutes later. Haechan is already standing under the tree by the lagoon. Very few students frequent here because of its isolated location and dim lighting. Yukhei approaches their asset. He's tall, taller than Wonwoo by a few inches, got a broad body. He looks fit. He could run away from them easily or could engage them in a fight.

Before Haechan could hand the money, Soonyoung appears behind Yukhei and Wonwoo in front of him. They showed him their badges and their guns just in case he tries to do something ridiculous.

Yukhei comes with them in the station in handcuffs. Precautionary measure. He puts him in the interrogation room and starts asking questions. Same set-up as Haechan. Seungcheol is still there and is observing again.

"Talk." Wonwoo order.

Yukhei smirks. It's annoying Wonwoo. "Never thought I'd get caught."

"Well, not every day you'll be lucky, kid."

"Smart that you used one of my loyal customers."

Wonwoo wants to wipe out the grin from his face by punching him but he stops himself because he isn't hostile. He must remain calm. They need him to talk first.

"Where do you get your items?" Wonwoo tries again.

"We have a lab. We make them."

"Who are you working with?"

Yukhei snickers. "Do you really want to know, officer?"

"Just give us a name."

"If I give it to you, can you handle it?"

Wonwoo is losing patience. "Drop a name."

The boy looks straight at Wonwoo's eyes. He's not scared at all, unlike Haechan. He puts his handcuffed hands on the table and reveals a tattoo on his forearm. Black Diamond. Yukhei points at it to show Wonwoo.

"You know this?" It's Yukhei who asks this time. Wonwoo doesn't answer. "Tell your friends outside. It's Black Diamond."

"Black Diamond?"

"Yoon Jeonghan."

"Who is he?" Wonwoo prays Soonyoung is taking down all of this. So many names are being dropped now.

"That's for you to find out, Officer Jeon."

They detained Yukhei for selling illegal drugs. They can't let him go now that they have a concrete lead. They don't wanna risk their chance and let him inform his group that they are onto them.

Soonyoung looks through their files about Black Diamond. Just what Wonwoo has thought, it's one of the mob groups in the city. They operate casinos and clubs. They don't have records on drugs yet but they are big on smuggling weapons from Russia and the Middle East.

Wonwoo suddenly remembers the night of the frat party incident. He and Soonyoung were at the red light district, in front of Black Diamond Casino. The hairs on the back of his neck stand with the thought. They are not dealing with a small-time group. This gang is obviously powerful.

The next thing they look up is Yoon Jeonghan. Nothing appears on their records. Soonyoung goes to the internet and tries of something comes up. Still nothing. So many Yoon Jeonghan but not one is affiliated to Black Diamond.

They start feeling it's dead-end now until Soonyoung opens a forum page. It's about money-lending businesses and the people exchanged their thoughts about Black Diamond Financing. Its primary contact is Yoon Jeonghan.

A photo appears at the bottom of the page. It's a stolen photo of a guy in front of Black Diamond casino and Wonwoo gasps. He can't be mistaken. It's certainly is Blondie.

Soonyoung agrees, saving the page and the photo. The three of them sit down and assess all the information they have gathered. Seungcheol expresses his satisfaction at the fast movement of the case. For the first time, he commends the two for their hard work.

"Take the gang out," Seungcheol says. "We thought they are harmless so we didn't touch them before. But clearly they are a threat now for the drugs they manufacture."

Wonwoo and Soonyoung look at each other. Take them out? How?

As if reading their shared thoughts, Seungcheol utters. "One of you must go undercover. Know how they operate and when we already have enough evidence and enough info, we'll have the SWAT team deal with them."

"Take with each other who will go. We must execute this as soon as possible." Seungcheol tells them.

Wonwoo looks at Soonyoung. He seems to be contemplating the job order. Between the two of them, Soonyoung is better at handling weapons and martial arts. However, Wonwoo is smarter and more of a quick thinker. Soonyoung might freak out the moment he enters the gang den. They can't have that.

And Wonwoo thinks this is the break he is waiting for. Finally, they are not gonna be dealing with traffic violators and old sexual offenders in the train station. Finally, a job that could save him from the current state of his position.

There's no talk needed. He has decided. Even if Soonyoung disagrees, he won't let him take this from him.

"I'll do it," Wonwoo says.

There is no turning back.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really sorry for the long wait!!!! After a century, here's the first chapter!!!!!

It wasn’t hard for Wonwoo to convince Soonyoung that he is a better option to do the undercover assignment. Despite his black belt in Taekwondo and top-grade aim at shooting, Soonyoung believes Wonwoo’s bravery and determination are better weapons when going to the enemy’s lair. Wonwoo has a strong mental capacity. He could handle seeing violent acts and could tolerate brutal behavior if needed. He could also be aggressive if he really wanted to. Additionally, his incredible acting skills will be put to great use.

Seungcheol has approved the mission, allotted a handsome budget for it so they could focus on the task without monetary constraints. Wonwoo's pay for this mission alone is enough to get him into a plane somewhere in Europe for a luxury vacation. 

Furthermore, their precinct captain has created a team that would handle the case and would back up Wonwoo while he is undercover. Soonyoung would be the one managing all the intelligence Wonwoo would supply while Junhui would lead the team that would manipulate Wonwoo’s identity on the internet and monitor Wonwoo’s activity through GPS.

Wonwoo has been studying all the information they got from their files and in the cyber world that Junhui could unearth nonstop. There isn't a lot yet since the group doesn’t have many police records but Junhui’s team is doing all they can to find more.

Like some Mafia groups in Seoul, Black Diamond is either not engaging in illegal activities anymore or they are protected by the police and some politicians. Their one and only record is their smuggling case that happened almost eight years ago. According to their files, it has been closed because of a lack of strong evidence. After that, there are no more recorded delinquencies from the group. Their casinos have proper permits and, in spite of the big interest they make their clients pay for their loans, their money lending business is still considered lawful.

“What are they? The good mafia?” Soonyoung comments in distaste while reading the group’s records.

Junhui types away in his computer to find more about the group while Wonwoo memorizes all the locations of their businesses that are listed. Junhui tilts his head as he looks at the new file that has loaded on his screen. “They were established in 1989. Thirty years ago.” He says.

Wonwoo reads on. Their founder, Kim Jonghyun, used to be a member of a large gang until it disbanded. He put up Black Diamond right after and became the chief ever since. He is known in his district as the gentle leader of the group. His members love him and most citizens under him are actually adoring him. He could be terrifying, but he is reasonable and just.

“They are really weird.” Junhui remarks. “What are we investigating again?”

“They sell and manufacture drugs,” Wonwoo answers, not really convinced at the bio he just read. The founder might be an angel, but it was years ago. He could be dead now and someone new, someone more malevolent is running the group.

Proving his hunches, Junhui scrolled down and more details appear before them. There aren't any photos anymore, just a list of additional information about the current status of the group's management.

Kim Jonghyun is still alive but has already stepped down two years ago to have his only son takeover. He is already living overseas with his wife to let his son run the business independently. 

"Kim Mingyu." Wonwoo reads out loud.

Junhui and Soonyoung nod in unison. "That's our target," Soonyoung says.

Wonwoo continues to read on. Kim Mingyu is young, the same age as them, and just recently graduated from a university abroad. He's part of his university football team and has an astounding record in Archery.

"Photos?" Wonwoo asks Junhui.

"Nothing." Junhui answers. "I have checked his university for his records, but it seems like it's all hidden from their files."

"They can do that?" Soonyoung inquires. 

"They could." Junhui nods. "It's personal records. They can wipe it all out if they want. Especially these people. They have money to spend to protect their identities."

Wonwoo has a lot to work on. But at least they know what Yoon Jeonghan looks like and where to find him. They can start from there and work their way up to Kim Mingyu. 

After gathering enough data, the team decided to call it a day. They've been working for more than 15 hours now. Tomorrow, they are scheduled to rehearse Wonwoo's identity and alibis so he could be off to this mission next week. They have to come up with a name, with a look, with a believable background that could get him to join the group. It's gonna be another long day but Wonwoo never felt so accomplished like this before.

*

Wonwoo loves playing games. Not the kind that requires physical strength and stamina and involves a lot of sweating either under the sun or in an indoor gym. He likes playing mobile and computer games during his free time if ever he runs out of books to read. During college, Soonyoung had to drag him out of their shared room so that he would stop damaging his eyes and brain cells in playing. He knows he’s good at it. He doesn’t stop until he beats his own record or be on top of the ranks. Even until now, although not that regular anymore, he still plays whenever he can.

He never thought that a day would come that he would use this skill in an undercover job.

It’s Soonyoung’s idea. Everything is Soonyoung’s idea if he’s going to be really honest. Last week, they were brainstorming about the best possible way of being an employee in any of Black Diamond’s business. Waiting was the first option but Junhui commented that Wonwoo was too impatient and too _chic_ to be serving the gamblers in the casino or in one of the clubs the group owns. They had scratched the idea as Wonwoo isn’t fit for it anymore.

The second suggestion was applying as one of the group’s hitmen.

“I know Wonwoo could shoot anyone anytime when it’s required because he’s cold like that,” Soonyoung had said when Junhui shared that he thought Wonwoo could fit the role. “But let’s be real here, they wouldn’t buy it when they see how his aim sucks.” The idea got shut down immediately after that.

They took an hour break after to refresh their heads and when they came back, Soonyoung showed them his latest findings.

“Online games?” Wonwoo had blurted out.

Black Diamond’s latest venture was online game betting. Initially, they only gamble with small groups of people, mostly their colleagues and friends until it spread out and started a buzz within the gaming community. Lots of players earn from this, as well as handlers who manage the games and the gambling money. Currently, Black Diamond manages seven players which they put up for betting every single night.

“They have a strong connection in Mainland,” Soonyoung explains. “I think this is where they are focusing now more than in their lending business.”

“What kind of games?” Wonwoo had asked, intrigued about the business. He knew about online gambling, but he hadn’t heard about organized online gaming where there are actual hubs for it and people that are hired to play, that there are actual individuals who spend in hopes that they will get more in return, and there are those who, like Black Diamond, take advantage of this.

Junhui had started searching more about it. Since he’s Chinese and could understand Mandarin, he penetrated the Chinese sites and shed more light on the matter. “Poker. Slot machine games. Anything you could play in an actual casino. They just do it online.”

“You kill everyone in Poker.” Sooyoung turns to Wonwoo. 

Now, Wonwoo isn’t proud of this. He likes games– computer games the most. But he got exposed to card games when he was in high school and got quite good at it. He had played in a casino once in his life and may or may have not gone home a few bucks richer. It’s not really something he boasts about. He just adapts to games easily.

Wonwoo wanted to protest because it’s something quite risky. What if he loses? What if he isn’t good enough for their standards? They were talking about millions of won here and he didn’t know what would happen to him if he sucked.

After a few considerations and lots of convincing mostly from Soonyoung, they finally went to an agreement. Wonwoo is gonna be a gamer for Black Diamond.

The following day, Wonwoo had to go to the salon to have his hair trimmed and dyed for a new look. He had to let go of his jet back hair. Soonyoung was so pleased when he came back to the office with ash-blonde locks. It's been a while since he last dyed his hair, thus it felt so weird whenever he looked at himself in the mirror with this kind of look. It took him a few days before he got used to it.

He also has to wear his glasses all the time now. It's part of his nerdy gamer identity and it makes him less suspicious because of how the round specs give him a softer aura than his usual cold detective visage.

Lastly, Wonwoo had to leave his apartment to Soonyoung's care. The initial plan was to sell it, but he is so fond of his place that he would want to return to it when this mission is over. It's not that big but it's all Wonwoo wanted as a home after he sold his father's house after he graduated from the police academy.

Today, after 16 days of preparation and rehearsals, is the day he embarks on the mission. Today, he has to move into the new place they got for him. If his apartment was small, this one is minuscule. He has to appear broke and desperate. It's the role he is playing so getting a place on the poorer side of town is a must. Wonwoo could only bring some of his old clothes, preferably not the branded ones. 

Wonwoo puts down his duffle bag on top of his narrow single bed. He starts hanging his clothes one by one, putting it in the beat-up wooden closet. It's a studio-type room so it isn't hard to move around given his few belongings.

He is thankful that Soonyoung got him an old TV that he could use to kill time for now. He opens it and uses it's sound as background noise while he settles his things. 

Soonyoung texts him a little while later when he is already preparing to kick off the job tonight. He couldn't bring his personal phone with him. Instead, they gave him an old model (still a smartphone) to complete his guise. There's nothing in there. Just a few fake conversations that Junhui created and photos that his role might be interested in which are anime and girl group members.

 **Soonyoung:** You ready?

 **Wonwoo:** Yeah

 **Soonyoung:** You scared?

 **Wonwoo:** No.

He is more anxious than scared. Being scared is almost a foreign feeling to him now. He had lost both of his parents at a young age, lived alone since then, went to the police academy, encounters criminals on a daily basis. He doesn't know what else he should be scared of at this point in his life.

 **Soonyoung:** Thought so. Good luck!

 **Wonwoo:** Thanks

 **Soonyoung:** We'll keep an eye on you.

Not literally since they really can't see Wonwoo or what he's gonna do. They could only track his location through his phone. When his movements get suspicious, Soonyoung has all the right to call backup and extract him from the scene.

Wonwoo doubts they have to do it. If anything goes wrong tonight or any day that he's on the job, these people won't think twice about shooting him dead. They'll be too late. Hence, all Wonwoo could do is just act well and pray that he would be believable. It's his only chance to survive.

After checking himself out a few times in the body mirror near his door, he deems his appearance good to go. He is wearing an all-black suit with white undershirt. He slicks his light hair up to fully emphasize his handsome face. He finishes the look by painting his lips with a peach tint. He still isn't used to this, but they have practiced for hours how to achieve this look— a look of a handsome gamer.

He isn't sure what is the point of being good looking when all he must do is play. However, Soonyoung insists that he should look dashing and irresistible for them not to pass on him. He has to get their attention by looking like a snack before he could show off his skills.

"And you should be presentable enough to get through the guards when you enter the casino. They won't ask further if you look like you're a model or something." Soonyoung had explained while they debated about his appearance on the first day. "Once you're in, you can be nerdy all you want."

Wonwoo leaves the house at exactly 8:45 in the evening. Black Diamond Casino is just five blocks away, so he takes his time to walk going there. It's a Friday and a payday weekend so he expects that the place will be full. He also expects that the people he is looking for would be there.

Indeed, the casino is packed when Wonwoo arrives. Having an experience playing in a casino once in his life isn't enough to look like he knows what he's doing. His training and rehearsals with Soonyoung and Junhui provided him ample knowledge about gambling. He starts simple, sitting on a slot machine and plays it just for the sake. He tries to be subtle while his eyes roam around the place to search for his targets. It's weird that he is winning even if he is just pushing random buttons. Half an hour later, he already accumulated 800,000 won without sweating.

Yoon Jeonghan comes in at around 10:15. He is alone this time. Nose and Retro are nowhere to be found. He talks to one of the staff, could be the manager, and then proceeds to sit on the bar to just look around. If you would look at him more closely, he doesn't look like he holds a high position in a mafia group. He looks more like a dream with his angelic features. Wonwoo decides to start working before he loses his chance.

"How could a pretty man like you be sitting alone at a night like this?" Wonwoo says as he orders a beer. He earns a smug smile from the bartender. Jeonghan is sitting on a steel stool while he drinks his glass of whiskey.

Jeonghan looks at him from head to toe. When their eyes meet, Wonwoo flashes his boyish smile. "Are you talking to me?"

"Well, yeah. You are the only person in here aside from myself." Wonwoo says with faux confidence.

Jeonghan doesn't look amused but he smiles. "You got courage."

"I’m 800,000 richer tonight. I can afford to lose." Wonwoo smirks, putting his best act to appear poised. He signals the bartender that the next round of drinks is on him.

Jeonghan accepts the full glass of whiskey placed in front of him. His employee gives him a knowing look, but he doesn't return it. He waves his hand to tell him to continue his job and not mind him.

"What do you want from me?" Jeonghan asks straightforwardly. He doesn't look friendly now, his jaws are hard, and he stares at Wonwoo like he could suck his soul out.

It doesn't faze Wonwoo. He doesn't care if Nose, Retro, or Yoon Jeonghan appeared first. He would admit that he preferred the latter as out of three of them, he is somewhat the one they know more about. Nose and Retro are still a mystery for them. Especially their big boss, Kim Mingyu. Wonwoo maintains his composure. "I just wanna talk to you."

"People don't just talk to me," Jeonghan tells him. His tone has authority. He is trying to imply his stature without actually stating it. "Unless they need something."

Wonwoo boasts about his earnings even though he knows it’s not something Jeonghan would be amazed about. ₩800,000 is nothing compared to billions of drug money, loan interests, and gambling incentives they acquire every month. Wonwoo has to try to keep everything cool. He is already here. He already talked to Jeonghan. There's no going back now.

Wonwoo takes a sip from his glass, smiling to act like he's shy that he got caught. Inside, he is smiling because Yoon Jeonghan took the bait. Maybe Soonyoung is right. Having a pleasing appearance makes most things easier. Yoon Jeonghan could easily dismiss him, could get him dragged out of the casino for bothering him. But he doesn't. He is still sitting here, and Yoon Jeonghan is allowing him to talk. "You're right. I really need something from you."

Jeonghan softens at the honesty. There is no other way than to say it and be straightforward. Strike whilst the iron is hot. “I want a job at your casino.”

Jeonghan chuckles, almost spitting out the alcohol he just sipped. “You don’t see any sign that we’re hiring. There's no vacancy.”

“Not here.” 

Jeonghan looks him up and down then smirks. “If you want to be a host in one of our clubs, we could talk.”

So, he's assumptions are right. Wonwoo appreciates that Jeonghan finds him attractive to offer a job in one of their clubs. Soonyoung had almost suggested it but, just like Junhui said, he is not that friendly for that kind of work. He moves closer to Jeonghan to whisper his intention. “I’d like to play for your online casino.”

Suddenly, Jeonghan’s expression transforms into a serious one. He isn’t angry. He is more surprised that Wonwoo knows about their online gaming business. Wonwoo looks him straight in the eyes to let him know he is serious.

"How did you find out about it?"

Wonwoo shrugs. "Online? It's everywhere. I need a job and it's the thing I know how to do."

"Why here, then?"

"It's close to my place. That simple."

“Winning ₩800,000 in a slot machine game won’t convince me that you know what you’re trying to get into,” Jeonghan says matter-of-factly, downing his drink.

“Try me if you want,” Wonwoo says.

Jeonghan signals the bartender to refill his glass. Wonwoo wants to assume that he successfully attracted Jeonghan’s curiosity because he would be kicking him out now if he hasn’t. The blonde takes out his phone and dials someone.

“I have a new player,” Jeonghan says on the phone, eyes remain on Wonwoo’s face. “I don’t know where he got the idea, but he wants in. Yeah. I don’t know, okay? It must be one of your stupid ads on Facebook. Just come down here and see for yourself. Fuck you, Hao. Okay. See you.”

 _Hao_. He must be either Nose or Retro. Wonwoo mentally congratulates himself for passing phase one. He still has a lot of phases to go through before he could call this mission a success. At the very least, he had done the first step right. This is looking promising.

Hao arrives a few minutes later. True enough, it's one of the two. It’s Retro and unlike Jeonghan, he doesn’t look that pleased to know that someone outside their circle knows about the business. He frowns at how hideous Wonwoo looks with his cheap suit. He doesn’t hold back when he tells Jeonghan that he looks more like a man whore than someone who could play poker and win it. He mentally takes note that this Hao has a ruthless mouth.

“How do you expect me to trust this person when he just randomly approached you,” Hao says exasperatedly at Jeonghan. But Jeonghan isn’t one bit intimidated by him. “I don’t want another Yukhei.”

“Yukhei is an asshole. And he was your responsibility. Not mine.” Jeonghan retorts. 

Wonwoo watches them argue for a bit more before Hao backs down with an immature grunt. He runs his fingers through his long black mullet and looks at Wonwoo. 

“The fuck is your name?” He asks him.

“Kim Kibum,” Wonwoo says automatically. It’s the name they gave him for this mission. A generic Korean name that is safe to use if ever they try to give him a background check. If they google his name, the first 100 photos would be of idols and actors. All of Wonwoo's faux details are stored in all of the government’s databases and they put up a social media account just in case.

“Come with me.” Hao gestures to follow him. Jeonghan remains at the bar and wishes him luck, raising his glass at him. He doesn’t promise him anything. He just gave him a warning that Hao isn’t gonna be kind, so he has to do his best if he really wants the job. 

Wonwoo nods. 

While on their way, Minghao asks him basic questions like his age and what he was doing before applying for the job. Wonwoo tells him he is 26, he used to have an office job but he just got laid off. One of his former colleagues plays online poker and that's where he got the idea.

"I live in this district for more than a year now. I have an idea what's going on here." Wonwoo says. 

It's a common thing to say when you're in an area that is protected by a mob. People live with them harmoniously as long as they follow their rules and won't cross them or annoy their men. According to their research, the citizens under Black Diamond feel safer with them around because they act faster than the police. It's the kind of environment Kim Jonghyun has established.

They engage in illegal activities and the people are aware of it but they put up schools, offer assistance when there's a calamity, and give prompt justice when someone from another district commits a crime against their people.

Hao must be satisfied with his answers as he doesn't ask any further. He takes him into a private room at the end of a secret hall at the back where three groups are playing poker. They must be gambling big to be hidden here. 

A man on the second table stands up when he sees Hao and then bows. Hao gestures at Wonwoo to sit in his place. “Win a game.” He simply instructs. 

Wonwoo thinks this is it. He’s gonna enter Black Diamond.

*

Surprisingly, Jeonghan is pleased to know that he passed and impressed the head of the gambling business by winning not just one, but three games in a row for his audition. Later on, when the game was over and it was decided that he’s gonna be a new player, Wonwoo finds out that Hao’s full name is Minghao and he is a Chinese national who handles the casinos and gambling activities of the group. Despite still being hostile at Wonwoo, he is satisfied with his strong gaming record.

They put them to play poker and has required him to earn at least one million won a night. It’s been three nights since Wonwoo has started working and maybe he is lucky that he keeps winning more than losing. Another player with the name Seungyoun tells him that it’s okay to lose every now and then. Not every night is a feast. Even Minghao knows that. He just has to pull up his wins next time.

“You’re already good when you have a 70% winning record.” He explains while they are on an hour break. They are at the back, Seungyoun smoking, and Wonwoo eating his hotdog sandwich which is their provided snack for the night. Food is free in the establishment. It’s kinda nice considering the amount they take home every night.

Wonwoo nods in understanding. They earn on a commission basis. With his record, he earns quite a bit more than the others. Wonwoo is allowed to spend the money but he opts not to since he is given an allowance every week. He doesn’t want to enjoy this illegal cash that much.

The dimpled man finishes his second stick and tells Wonwoo that he is heading first. Wonwoo takes his time eating his scanty meal as he still has 20 more minutes to slack off. Neither Soonyoung nor Junhui has contacted him yet ever since he told them he is already in the business. He had reported that he has already met Jeonghan and given them Minghao’s name and profile. With his constant apartment to casino movement, they might be thinking that he is okay. Nothing out of the ordinary is happening so they keep their communication minimal.

And that is the thing that makes him worry. It’s been three days and he still doesn’t have any lead about the drug dealings of the group. Wonwoo isn’t stationed in one of the remote hubs. He, Seungyoun, and five more players are assigned right in the casino. They have a room where they play and are monitored by Minghao. Being one of the pioneer players, Seungyoun says that this is the HQ and only the top players get to play there. Only on his third day, Wonwoo is already considered as a big roller.

For three days, the only higher-ups that Wonwoo has encountered are Jeonghan and Minghao. The rest is just their underlings and bodyguards. The casino operates as usual. It’s relatively peaceful. Players only play and there are no brawls or confrontations that have happened yet. It’s disconcerting on Wonwoo’s part as he expected that he would be exposed to a lot of violence as soon as he enters the vicinity. He hasn’t even seen anyone take out a gun. Minghao could be really terrifying but he hasn’t laid a hand on someone as of the moment.

Wonwoo returns to his station five minutes before his break is over. Seungyoun is already on his, playing on his phone while waiting for another game to start. At exactly the start of the half of his shift, Wonwoo is surprised that his monitor doesn’t display the usual poker game he should be playing. The screen is still blank while the others are already beginning to play. He calls for their IT support guy to ask if something is wrong with his connection.

“Boss Minghao will see you in a bit.” He tells Wonwoo.

“Why?”

“Not sure. Just wait here.”

Wonwoo sits back down on his chair, wondering the reason why Minghao wants to see him. He thinks his record is fine based on his tracker, he hasn’t lost that much money yet. 

One of Minghao’s guys comes in and takes him to another room. They go through another hallway where there is a stairway at the end of it that leads them in a large room above the casino. Wonwoo hasn’t been here and had no idea that there is a passage like this in the establishment. The bulky guy opens the door to let him in. There he sees Minghao and Jeonghan sitting on a brown leather couch at the side of the room, bottles of vodka on top of the center table. It’s a spacious room, more like an office, walls painted dark brown, with a pool table on the right and a tall bookshelf on the opposite wall. There is a shiny grand oak table in the middle. Nothing much on top of it. Just a pen holder and crystal ashtray. A dark red velvet curtain with gold trims draped behind the table that covers, Wonwoo assumes, the only window in the room.

“Ahh!” Jeonghan exclaims when he sees him enter. “Our best player is here!”

Minghao only smirks as he sips his drink. On Minghao’s order, the guy closes the door and leaves Wonwoo standing awkwardly in front of the two men. He doesn’t know what to do now that he is alone in a room with the two bosses. He could be killed here, and no one would be there to help him. Soonyoung and Junhui won’t call for backup as he is still in the area. It won’t be alarming to them. If ever they find something unusual, Wonwoo’s is already either in the middle of the ocean or fed to the tigers.

“How’s your streak?” Jeonghan says. Ever since, he is the nicer one but Wonwoo thinks he is more vicious when it comes to the job. He thinks when it comes to deciding what to do to a traitor or a mole, Jeonghan would be the one who wouldn’t hesitate to kill.

“I want to believe I am doing a good job.” Wonwoo answers.

“He is fine,” Minghao says.

“Told you, I have a keen eye for talents!” Jeonghan pushes Minghao’s shoulder playfully as he giggles. They look young like this. They seem close and are good friends. They don’t look like they operate one of Seoul’s wanted syndicates. 

“Take a seat.” Jeonghan turns to him, pointing at one of the armchairs across from them. Wonwoo follows and takes a seat. Jeonghan pours him a glass of Jack and hands it to him. Wonwoo takes it, bowing, and drinks from it. 

“What time are they coming?” Minghao asks Jeonghan.

Jeonghan looks at his phone before he answers. “In a few. They’re almost here.”

They didn't need to wait long because the door opens after just a few minutes. Nose comes in first in his grey suit then follows a tall man, taller than all of them, wearing a regal all-black suit that hugs his muscular figure in the right places. Wonwoo's eyes scans up and stops at his handsome chiseled face. He's got defined jaws, pointed nose, plump lips, and deep brown eyes. For a second, Wonwoo gets lost in them. He feels like he is in a trance with how intense he stares at everyone, every single thing that his eyes laid on. He softens once he sees Minghao and Jeonghan and greets them before he sits on the leather armchair behind the oak desk.

Wonwoo is certain. He wouldn’t be mistaken. It must be him.

Jeonghan stands up to give the tall guy a glass of whiskey. He doesn’t look up as he is still checking his phone. Nose pours himself one and sits beside Minghao, taking Jeonghan’s previous place.

“Is this the guy?” Nose asks, looking at Wonwoo.

Wonwoo still doesn’t know the reason why he is here and meeting all the heads of this organization. He doesn’t need to ask who these men are. Obviously, they all hold high positions to be lounging in this hidden room and get all the burly men downstairs kissing their feet. Especially the tallest one, the one Nose escorted in. He must be--

“Mingyu,” Nose calls and the man finally looks up. “This is our guy.”

So, Wonwoo is right again. This is Kim Jonghyun’s son, the new leader of Black Diamond, Kim Mingyu. Finally, he has seen him in his own eyes. Finally, there is a face to the mysterious name. Wonwoo didn’t think he would be this young, this good-looking. He didn’t even expect that his underlings would all be looking like this. If you see them in the streets, you wouldn’t say that they are gang members. They look more like celebrities with the way they present themselves. 

Kim Mingyu looks at him from head to toe. Wonwoo feels like he is being skinned alive as he watches how the leader scrutinizes him. He is just wearing a loose tee and slim fit denim jeans. All four sets of eyes are on him now. Nose, which Jeonghan called Seokmin earlier flashes him a wide smile. It’s weird how he seems so jolly and friendly for a gang member. Wonwoo rarely prays but this is one of those special moments when he does. He wishes they would tell him what they want from him.

“Does he know how to play?” Kim Mingyu directs his question at Minghao. 

The Chinese man tells his boss about Wonwoo's winning streak ever since he joined the organization. He talks casually to Kin Mingyu as if he isn't the leader, as if he is just a friend who comes by every so often to check up on his business. Wonwoo observes how they treat each other with a keen eye, puts every detail in his memory to report to Soonyoung later if he makes it home alive later.

"He's good. Surprisingly, the best one we have so far." Minghao says proudly. He isn't particularly friendly with Wonwoo but Wonwoo feels good that he got praised by his immediate boss. It feels nice that his skills got recognized as it doesn't normally happen at his real workplace in the police station.

Kim Mingyu focuses his gaze at Wonwoo again. His stares are smoldering, piercing through Wonwoo's skull like a bullet. He got an intense set of eyes and a normal person's first instinct when gets stared like that would be to shake in fear and look away. But, there's something about the way Kim Mingyu studies him thoroughly that keeps Wonwoo fixated at holding his gaze. He isn't scared at all. At most, he is curious about the young mobster.

"If this is another Yukhei, I swear--" Kim Mingyu says, still looking at Wonwoo straight in the eyes. His lips are set on a thin line but still inviting nevertheless. Wonwoo doesn't know why he is getting drawn at the way Kim Mingyu's lips move. It's hypnotizing.

"He's gone. That kid won't return anymore." Minghao answers exasperatedly, guilt evident in his tone. Whatever happened with Wong Yukhei and them, Wonwoo is sure it's Minghao who got the young man looped in their group and these higher-ups were upset about it.

"Where is he, though?" Seokmin suddenly asks.

_Locked up in the precinct._

Minghao shrugs before he takes a sip of his drink. "Who cares? He just needed extra money, so he played with us. Now, he's off somewhere."

"Make sure he doesn't blab about the business. We are just starting. We don't wanna mess with the police." Mingyu orders. "We are still negotiating with the mayor about online gambling. Nothing is set yet and we don't want to have a problem with the permit."

The three underlings nod. 

"You know father always wants to abide by the law. I don't wanna get in trouble." Mingyu continues.

"We understand." Minghao answers.

Wonwoo gets reminded about the things they have read about Kim Jonghyun. He never had a criminal record, always maintained peace in their neighborhood, and had been loved by the people when he was still leading Black Diamond. Wonwoo still couldn't understand how this group works. They seem harmless in this perspective. How could they cause a ruckus to students by producing a hazardous drug such as Monkey Dust? Kim Jonghyun must not be aware of his son's doings if that is the case.

"You," Mingyu calls out, startling Wonwoo. 

"M-me?" Wonwoo stutters.

"You can leave." Mingyu flicks his wrist, gesturing Wonwoo to go. "Go make us rich."

Wonwoo stands up from the couch, bowing to all four bosses before he gets out of the room. If he felt Kim Mingyu still staring at him until he closes the door, he doesn't dwell on it. He could just be imagining things. The boss won't be fascinated by him.

*

"I finally met Kim Mingyu," Wonwoo tells Soonyoung over the phone. He calls his friend the moment he steps in his small apartment that morning after his shift at work. Just to be sure, he had shut off the windows and made sure that the door was triple-locked. He opens the radio and turns up the volume a bit so if someone is eavesdropping, they won't hear the conversation clearly.

"What?!" Soonyoung exclaims. "This fast??"

Wonwoo affirms. "Yes." 

"How was it?"

 _Intense._ But, Wonwoo doesn't say that. Instead, he tells Soonyoung what they have talked about and what he thought about the whole organization, how it's so weird that they still haven't talked about drugs even once and don't have highly dangerous weapons in the vicinity. Sure, they carry guns. Wonwoo sees all the security personnel flash their weapons. He is also sure the four leaders at least keep one in their bodies. However, he hasn't seen big ammunitions yet just like how they were told through their intels. 

Moreover, Wonwoo gives Soonyoung all the names he got, their physical descriptions, and their positions. Junhui might need it to find a better lead.

"How's Yukhei?" Wonwoo asks. It suddenly occurs to him the name of the boy. They kept on mentioning him so Wonwoo got curious about him.

"He got bailed out." Soonyoung replies.

South Korea still doesn’t have a powerful law against illegal drugs. The government is more focused on fighting domestic violence, killings, and human trafficking. Anyone can get away with it even with strong evidence as possession of a couple of grams would only cause you a few million won. Many celebrities always get caught using or selling. It’s not really a big deal since they could pay the fine. Wonwoo isn’t surprised Yukhei had the money to bail. Even if he isn’t part of Black Diamond anymore, he sure has some stash in his pocket for selling illicit substances.

“He’s not a member anymore,” Wonwoo informs Soonyoung.

“What? Why?” Soonyoung exclaims. “Who’s he working for now?” 

Wonwoo sighs. “I don’t know. He’s a former gamer also. Not sure when he left but I don’t think they like him that much.”

“That’s odd,” Soonyoung says. Wonwoo thinks so, too. It seems like Yukhei had been a part of the group for only a short time and in that period, he only caused trouble. “Anyway, we will check on him again. And if you can, get more info about him.”

“Okay.” 

“How are you?”

Wonwoo is fine. Aside from the dangerous nature of his work, he's alright. He's eating good food in the casino-slash-club he is working at now and he does something he likes for a job every night. Poker isn't his most favorite game but at least he plays. That's what matters. Furthermore, he gets along with the guys in the hub. Even their manager. He is lenient. He allows them to take multiple breaks as long as they monitor their streaks. Plus, the pay is good if you are a good player. They are generous with giving incentives. If this is a legit industry, Wonwoo could give up his dream of being a detective and just make money out of playing.

"I'm alright," Wonwoo assures Soonyoung.

"Good. I'll talk to you again soon."

"Okay." Then, Wonwoo hangs up.

*

"What drink do you want?" 

Wonwoo looks up from his phone. He is lounging by the bar for his "lunch" break that night. He has an entire hour to eat but he mostly spends it inside the club to observe. He eats before he goes to work, then on his second break before his shift ends, and then before he sleeps. He usually just looks around, trying to find something unusual that could lead him to the drug business of the organization. It's been almost a month since he got in but there is still no concrete evidence that they are actually manufacturing and/or distributing Monkey Dust. It's always been Jeonghan manning the whole place including the casino and dealing with people who have 't paid their loans, Seokmin arriving at around eight in the evening and leaving before midnight, and Minghao staying the whole night to supervise the online gaming business. Kim Mingyu doesn't come in every day. He only shows up when there are VIP guests or if Jeonghan called a meeting. Thus, Wonwoo is surprised to see the boss tonight when there is nothing special to do.

And it is not normal that Kim Mingyu talks to him and asks him for drinks. 

"Sir?" Wonwoo blinks. It's the first time Mingyu has talked to him after their introduction. He only sees him around and greets him whenever they bump into each other in the vicinity as a courtesy. 

"A drink," Mingyu says occupying the stall beside Wonwoo. He wears his usual crisp suit on top of a button-up shirt. "What kind of drink do you prefer?"

"I'm still working, sir. It's just my break time." Wonwoo explains. Minghao allows them to have a drink or two but they still have to stay sober when on the clock. 

Mingyu grins. With just a snap of his fingers, the bartender serves him his drink. It's Jack on the rocks. "Don't mind Minghao. I got you."

Wonwoo doesn't really mind Minghao. He is more concerned about the reason why the leader of Black Diamond is offering him a drink and is being friendly with him, a mere employee. Is he that kind of leader? Does he welcome all new employees like this? 

"I'm having what you're having, sir," Wonwoo says, taking Mingyu's offer. It must be okay since the bartender, Jooheon (which he is familiar with now), nods at him. Jooheon gives him a glass right away. "Thank you, sir." 

Wonwoo bows before he takes a sip.

"Treat is as a reward for giving me business. Minghao tells me you're getting in demand." Mingyu tells him.

It's sort of true. His good records increased their clients. More gamblers become interested in betting on him. More money comes in every night. He is now becoming one of the most wanted players in their roster.

"I'm just doing my job, sir."

"Good."

The silence between them is getting awkward. Wonwoo doesn't have anything to say to the leader. He doesn't know what kind of topics he should talk to Mingyu about. Is he allowed to even chat with the boss over drinks? He hasn’t seen anyone approach him or get close to him like this. All the people are distant not because they don’t like him. They like him all right. It’s obvious because they respect him and follow all his laws. But you could feel that they keep their distance whenever he is in the room. 

Wonwoo suddenly remembers what Soonyoung has suggested a few days ago. There’s no progress about what they know about the organization and to be honest, all the things Wonwoo has supplied them are not even enough receipts to say that Black Diamond is engaging in illegal activities as serious as drug fabrication.

“Can you try to talk to him directly? Maybe you could be friends with him?” Soonyoung has told him. He thinks because Wonwoo is one of the best players in the casino, Mingyu would be a little amicable with him. Wonwoo should try to get close to him so that he could get more information. If Mingyu gets to trust him, he could tell him vital details that he only shares with selected people. 

Although he isn't good at small talks and making new friends, Wonwoo had considered the suggestion for the sake of the case. Trying to be closer to Kim Mingyu is one of the fastest routes to salvation.

He tries to think fast, composing the next sentences he would say to Mingyu. But before he could speak again, Mingyu’s bodyguard comes up to them. One of them whispers to Mingyu’s ears.

He could only stare as Mingyu nods at what his guys are telling him. “I'm sorry,” Mingyu says to Wonwoo, standing up from his stool. “I gotta go.”

“It’s okay, sir,” Wonwoo says, standing up to and bowing.

“Enjoy your drink. I'll see you around, Kibum.” Mingyu takes his glass and empties its contents. Wonwoo watches as Mingyu’s Adam's apple bobs and a drop of the alcohol flows down his jaw going to his neck. The boss wipes the liquid with the back of his hand. 

Something tingles inside Wonwoo. He isn’t certain what it was and why it happened. He shouldn’t feel hot or bothered but he finds his forehead sweating as he rewinds the scene in his head. He’s definitely not finding the boss of Black Diamond attractive. That is not a possibility. It shouldn’t be even a possibility.

*

Seven days. That is how long Wonwoo hasn’t seen Kim Mingyu anywhere in the Black Diamond hub. All issues and matters in the business are being relayed and solved by Yoon Jeonghan. Wonwoo wonders where the leader went. Mingyu has shown up in the casino every night after that time that they talked and offered him a drink. Sometimes he would go down to Minghao to check how's the online business is going. Sometimes, Wonwoo could feel his eyes on him while he works. It makes him lose his focus because Mingyu doesn't know how to be subtle, but he must keep his composure and act that he isn't affected. 

Wonwoo has found out the reason for his absence on the eighth night when Mingyu has personally called for him in his office right after a game that he won.

No one in his grand office. Just him and Mingyu in the spacious room. Mingyu is sitting on his leather armchair behind his oak table. He smiles when Wonwoo comes in, the first time Wonwoo has seen him smile for the 6 weeks he's been undercover. He doesn't understand why his heart began hammering in his chest as he walks closer to the leader's desk, hands cold and sweating.

"Hello, Kibum." Mingyu greets.

"Hello, sir." Wonwoo bows.

"It's been a while since we last saw each other," Mingyu says, looking directly at him. 

"Yes, sir. It's been a few days." Seven to be exact.

Mingyu stands up and rounds his table to go to where Wonwoo is standing in the middle of the room. He is carrying a paper bag in one of his hands. Wonwoo bows his head down, not wanting to look at Kim Mingyu in the eyes as a courtesy. 

"Here." He hears Mingyu say, handing him the bag.

Wonwoo finally looks up, not understanding why the boss is giving him something. He doesn't move. "What is this, sir?"

"A gift from me." 

"A gift?"

"Yeah. Take it." Mingyu takes Wonwoo's wrist, forcing him to take the bag.

"But, sir--"

Mingyu sits on the leather chair, opening the button of his checkered sports jacket. He isn't wearing a suit today. Just jeans and plain white tee with sneakers. He looks younger and less intimidating like this.

"You can't give it back. And it's rude if you do." Mingyu says.

Wonwoo opens the bag and peaks in. There is an assortment of European chocolates inside. Lots of it. Just by looking, he could already see himself getting sugar-rush each day until he consumes all of it.

"Do you like sweets?" Mingyu asks when he sees him getting amazed at the treats.

"I do, sir," Wonwoo answers honestly. He has a sweet tooth and because, as a child, his parents didn't buy him sweets that much that he developed a craving for it. His father didn't like it and his mother believed it's not good for his health. He could only have candies and chocolates when his classmates give him.

Mingyu beams. "Good." He then tells Wonwoo that he went to a trip to Italy with his parents for a week. It's an annual thing since his father retired. His old man wanted to go places he hadn't been to when he was younger and to spend time with his wife and only son. 

"I hope you had a good vacation, sir," Wonwoo says. Still, he doesn't understand why he gets a bag of chocolates.

"I did." Mingyu nods. "Just one minor issue."

"Sir?"

"You'll know about it soon."

Wonwoo doesn't know how to react. He doesn't even have any idea what Kim Mingyu is talking about. All these things that are happening is making him confused. 

Wonwoo simply says, “Okay, sir."

"You can go back to work now, Kibum," Mingyu tells him. "It's nice seeing you again."

Mingyu holds his gaze. He isn't smiling or being intense just like when he first saw him. He just stares at Wonwoo like he is waiting for something, like he still has something to say but can't say it.

Wonwoo stays still for a few more seconds, curious as to what the boss is going to do. This is wrong. He is unintentionally expecting. Kim Mingyu makes him so curious. 

"If that is all, Mr. Kim, I am going now." Wonwoo finally says. He's been there too long. Minghao won't be pleased.

"Okay." Mingyu stands up from the couch and turns his back. He places his palm on the table, leaning on it while he waits for Wonwoo to leave. 

Wonwoo bows one last time before he leaves the room.

*

Wonwoo isn't sure if this is a coincidence anymore but it's all he could think of when he bumps into the leader of Black Diamond on his way home that morning. He is walking the usual path, hoodies up and earphones plugged in. He is thinking about what he wants to eat for breakfast before he sleeps, ramyun or a rice meal when he hears a loud honk. A black car was parked at the side of the street. The back-seat window rolls down to reveal Kim Mingyu.

"Going home?" He asks. 

Wonwok stops and takes out one of the buds from his ear. "Sir?"

"Are you on your way home?"

"Yes, sir."

"Is your home far from here?"

"Not really. Just a twenty-minute walk." Wonwoo is still practically in the Black Diamond-protected area, just a few meters from the club.

"Great," Mingyu says then opens the door or his car. "Get in."

Wonwoo didn’t think he heard it right. "Huh?"

"Get in. I'll drop you home."

"I'm fine, sir. I can walk." Wonwoo declines. This is getting really weird. First, the chocolates from the other day. Now, Kim Mingyu wants to drive him home.

"I really insist." Mingyu pushes. The door of the car is still open and Mingyu is waiting for him to get in. Wonwoo hasn’t seen the boss this casual to any of his subordinates aside from his three friends. He doesn’t think he stops and offers rides to random employees he sees on the streets. 

Wonwoo sighs and tells himself _this is for the job_. He hears Soonyoung inside his head, yelling at him to go for it because Seungcheol is getting impatient with the slow progress of the case. He can't fail again. The Monkey Dust case is all he has right now. 

"Okay." Wonwoo gives in, getting in the car. Mingyu looks pleased that he accepted his offer. 

"Please feel free to instruct Chan your address," Mingyu tells him. Wonwoo supposes that Kim Mingyu is talking about his driver. Wonwoo goes ahead and tells the young man his street number so he could input it in the GPS. 

Wonwoo sits still in his place. Mingyu is on the opposite side, texting someone on his phone. Wonwoo expects the car to be extravagant, something he could only see in movies. But Kim Mingyu's car is just an ordinary one. In the mid-range level. Local car. Not imported. This is not what Wonwoo expects from the leader of a gang. Seungcheol's car is more advanced than this.

"Comfy?" Mingyu asks after his text conversation.

Wonwoo just nods.

"Sir, we're here," Chan says as he slows down and parks the car at the side of the street in front of Wonwoo’s building.

"That fast?" Mingyu exclaims.

"Sir, he leaves nearby." Chan answers.

"I told you it's just walking distance," Wonwoo says, opening the door on his side. "Thanks for the ride, Mr. Kim." 

"Wait!" Mingyu shouts, startling Wonwoo a bit. He changed his tone when he realized he used a louder voice. "Wait."

Wonwoo turns his head. What now?

"Can I--" Mingyu stutters. The leader of a mafia group fucking stutters. "Can I walk you to your door?"

Now, Wonwoo is getting more and more confused. He has a hint, but he doesn't want to entertain the idea. It's not what it is. 

"I mean, only if it is okay with you." Mingyu continues.

Soonyoung is in his head again. He keeps telling him to just go for it and be extra friendly to Kim Mingyu. This will be all over soon if he does and it’s not like he would do this forever. Once the gang goes down, he won’t meet Kim Mingyu again.

"Okay." Wonwoo wants to punch himself.

Mingyu follows him to his unit. They don't talk on their way there. Wonwoo doesn't know what to say, doesn't think this is normal between an employer and an employee. He doesn't know if Mingyu does this regularly to the people he fancies in the club.

"This is me." Wonwoo says when they are already at his front door. He watches as Mingyu looks at the surrounding, the dirty corridor, his worn outdoor. Wonwoo is sure Mingyu is not used to this kind of environment.

Mingyu then fixes his eyes on Wonwoo. “Are you comfortable living here?”

It’s not like Wonwoo has a choice. It’s not like he could choose more pleasant accommodation while on this job. This is part of his disguise, this is Kim Kibum. This is not Jeon Wonwoo who misses his soft queen-sized bed and the heated floors in his apartment. He has to live like this so he could prove that he is a worthy police officer.

“I am.” Wonwoo lies. He couldn’t sleep well in the afternoon because he could hear his neighbors through the thin walls, his toilet clogs, his heater sometimes doesn’t work and he has to hit it multiple times to start working again, he hates the moldy smell of the hallway. He can go on forever about the things he dislikes in this place.

“When you get your bonus, move to a better place. This is literally a rathole.” Mingyu tells him. No, more like orders him. He likes doing that to Wonwoo lately. Even if he doesn’t intend to. Maybe this is how he is. Maybe this is his upbringing as the eventual leader of the mob.

Wonwoo only gives him a small smile. He wants this— whatever this is that they are doing right now— to end so that he could sleep and call it a day. 

"Do I make you feel awkward?" Mingyu suddenly tells him. 

Wonwoo looks up at him. Yes, but Wonwoo doesn't say. "No, sir."

"Please stop calling me that." He orders yet again. "Just call me Mingyu."

"I don't think that's a good idea, sir," Wonwoo says.

“Call me by my name. Call me Mingyu. That is an order.” Mingyu firmly states. He doesn’t frighten Wonwoo a bit. If anything, he wants to laugh because Mingyu looks like a demanding brat right now.

“Mingyu,” Wonwoo utters slowly. He says it again, but this time, he looks directly at Mingyu's eyes.

Kim Mingyu smiles the moment his name was spoken by Wonwoo's mouth. It's kind of satisfying to see a strong, respected, and feared boss of a Mafia is reduced to this just by calling him by his name. Wonwoo feels like he has discovered a lethal weapon against the enemy.

"Better." Mingyu's smile widens when Wonwoo shyly smiled back at him. 

Yes, Wonwoo has found the weakness of Black Diamond's leader.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- [twitter](https://twitter.com/minwonangst)  
> \- [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/minwonangst)


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